Summary

In Chapter 8, Orlov announces on New Year’s Day that his work is sending him to some province for five days. Zinaida tells him that he is free to have an affair while he is gone. Orlov knows she does not mean this. He kisses her tenderly goodbye that same evening. Stepan accompanies him in the cab. The cab stops at Pekarsky’s apartment, where Kukushkin and Gruzin are waiting. Orlov explains to Stepan that he must lie to Zinaida and say that he left town. He will be staying at Pekarsky’s in the meantime. Once home, Stepan wonders why Orlov finds this deception necessary. Zinaida gives him a telegram to send to Orlov, full of her love and good wishes for the new year.

It becomes clear that Polya knows Orlov’s secret in Chapter 9. She starts stealing as much as...